Mondeo burning oil

Sherlock

Just wondering if anyone had this problem?. Mondeo losing oil and white smoke coming out the exhaust when revving up. Had a head gasket changed a few weeks ago but the garage say the current problem isn't connected to that. Seems a bit of a coincidence to me but I'm a mechanical ignoramus.

mike65

Burning oil plus white smoke equalls head gasket as a rule. Have you checked the stae of the coolant in the expansion tank? Check for a film of oil on the surface, also remove the oil filler cap and look for signs for white residue (this might not be apparent if the problem is recent). A poorly fitted gasket is a top cause of failure!

Mike.

Sherlock

Thanks Mike, thats what I thought too, this is a Ford main dealer so I'll be interested in seeing what they come up with.

Sherlock

Been told I need a new engine as one of the pistons is faulty it seems. Apparently it happened just before the head gasket was changed. I asked if this could not have been checked before the gasket (800 euro) was changed but was told this was not possible. Seems odd to me, surely its posible to test this. Someone mentioned a compression test, anyone know about this?

mike65

A compression test can spot a damaged piston (such as a hole) however as a rule a test will only be done if there are known problems with the engine performance.

How was yours running prior to the new gasket being put in? In fact why was the car given a new gasket? Did you have engine overheating problems?

Mike.

Sherlock

Engine was overheating on me going up the M50 one day, pulled in as soon as I saw it going near the red and let it cool down. Topped it up with water when home but once I saw it going over half way on the temp dial the following day I brought it straight to the garage (about 5 mins drive away). They diagnosied a faulty head gasket and replaced it. If there was a problem with the pistons wouldn't it have been obvious (or at least suspicious) when the head cylinder was removed?

maidhc

Apart from the fact €800 seems crazy expensive for getting a head gasket done, on opening the engine they should have noticed if the original head gasket was absolutely perfect before just getting (possibly) a 16yr old to throw it away.

As mike said it sounds like a poorly fitted gasket. Is your oil being burned or dissappearing into the coolant?

The two problems are definately related in my view, and perhaps the wise thing to do now is to go to an indepdendent non-ford gargage. If you find a good one they will tell you the truth, and if the original ford garage was wrong try and get your money back (possibly through the small claims procedure in the district court).

What age is the car? I know ford are good to cover big things even when the car is out of warranty so long as it isnt ancient. Otherwise you will have to scout out for a s/h engine.

IrishRover

Something about this just screams bull**** to me.
Diagnosed a faulty piston then eh? How is it "faulty"?
Which one? (Think of a number?)

Did the engine actually overheat? How high did the temp needle go and for how long? If the engine actually overheated the head could have warped. Did they get the head skimmed before refitting with the new gasket? Were the valves lapped? Any head warping by overheating and the guides will no longer be in alignment with the face of the valve seat. Was the head pressure tested before being put back on? Was any time spent making sure the surface of the block was clean before refitting with the new gasket?

Something makes me suspect no is the answer to most of that. White smoke generally means water is getting into the combustion cycle. So where is it coming from? A poorly fitted gasket would seem likely.

Also, with the original problem, where they "diagnosed a faulty head gasket", ususally this is a symptom of a problem, not a root cause. I wonder did they investigate any further as to what prompted the head gasket failure?

How old is your Mondeo?

Sherlock

Engine never hit the red, it went about 3/4 way on the dial on two occasions before I left it in and they reckoned it was a faulty head gasket. Head was sent for testing and then skimmed, new timing belt fitted.I think too that it was a symptom not the fault but how do I prove it?. Garage has the car now while I'm exploring my options, its a 98 model btw.

IrishRover

Well replacing one or all of the pistons and any possible machining of the bores for a '98 Mondeo probably puts it "beyond economical repair" ... at their prices anyway (not that it's surprising by Irish standards).

Suspecting a hash job of fitting the new gasket is one thing, and proving it is another as you say. I had a picture of an engine where the gasket was slapped back on without cleaning the block surface showing an obvious chunk of grit/dirt distorting the gasket, can't find it right now. If you were "lucky" enough to be able to see something like that it would be a pretty open and shut case.

Doesn't sound like your engine did actually overheat then. Did they go into any more detail about this faulty piston?